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Blogging in the Classroom

When students blog as part of their learning experience, the posts have a focused purpose. The objective of publication on a blog is to communicate within the context of the classroom. Students create content which is shared with an authentic audience, whether it be students in their own classroom, parents, or students and teachers from other schools. A blog is used to communicate. The expectation is that knowledge will be shared and that publishing becomes part of the knowledge making process. This happens as writers read each other's posts and respond with their own thoughts and feelings. Students develop an awareness that the content they are publishing is public and they must be aware of quality and accuracy. When blogging is used by students, we have the potential to be able to teach them to write critically and be reflective about their message and other's writing.

The Broken Arrow Enhanced Learning Center blog has specific student outcomes:

1. Students will learn to be safe and responsible social networkers.
2. They will understand intellectual property and copyright issues.
3. Students will have the opportunity to write real and relevant content which is viewed by an authentic audience. The content may be original thoughts or stories, comments in response to peers or response to reflection questions posted by teachers as blog entries or threaded discussions. RSS News feed articles may also be used for inspiration!

Integrating Technology Students are Already Using

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Over 70% of young people join Social Networking sites, most of them posting content, contributing to photo storage sites, and contributing to video sharing sites like YouTube. Their audience for posting content is most certainly their own peers. Using real-world tools in the classroom is not only engaging, but provides an opportunity to teach children responsible and ethical use.

• Report from Pew Internet about Teen Creators and Consumers
• Chart from Businessweek displaying data about what people are doing on the internet
• Teacher using blogs provides good guidelines for student blogging
• Story from teacher/blogger about the development of blogs
• Story from NY Times about how teachers are using blogs to communicate
• Story from NEA on how to start blogging in the classroom

Connection to District Standards (Sample-5th Grade)

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Use different modes of writing for different purposes and audiences.

• write descriptive pieces (poetry, ballad, journal entry)
• write narrative pieces (creative story, personal narrative, folklore)
• write expository pieces (written direction, book, research report)
• write for the purpose of narrating
• write persuasive piece

Use ideas that are well developed, clear, and interesting.

• select a topic from a generated list of ideas
• maintain focused writing throughout the text

Apply comprehension strategies and skills to a variety of texts, including narrative, expository, persuasive, and technical.

• identify author’s point of view
• identify author’s purpose (e.g. to persuade, to entertain, to inform)
• draw conclusions
• distinguish fact from opinion
• recognizes propaganda in advertising and media
• identify main ideas and details
• retell main ideas and supporting details
• identify characteristics of different text
• identify common topics in different text
• skim for overview
• scan specific information

Apply literary concepts to interpret literature.

• identify elements of fiction and drama (character, setting, plot, resolution, theme)
• describe characterization (appearance, feelings, motivation)
• describe setting and explain its importance to the story
• identifies and explains the conflict and resolution

Consistent with Curriculum Focus on Writing

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• Enhances improvements to the writing program
• Engaged Learning – lit circles, project based learning, cooperative groups
• Publishing work and receiving feedback from an authentic audience
• Promote critical and analytical thinking
• Promotes creativity
• Combines solitary reflection and social interaction
• Constructivist
• Collaborative

Uses for Blogs in the Classroom

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• Media literacy - read and write about what they watch, read, see on TV or the news
• Manage course information - easy publishing of notes, syllabus, homework, activities, and assessments
• Extend in class discussion - allowing quiet, shy, or ESL students a less pressured opportunity to participate
• Summarize readings - ensure students are prepared when they come to class
• Literature Circles - thought provoking questions and set up a structure for collaborative contribution
• Summarize projects or group presentations - group blogging makes information accessible to everyone
• Class newsletter - communicate with parents and other members of the community
• Online portfolio of best writing pieces
• Collaborate with students at another school
• Literature assignments
• Communicate with parents with a class newsletter
• Provide Writing prompts
• Vocabulary activities
• Online readings to read and react to
• Post photos on class activities
• Invite student comments on issues to encourage writing voice
• Online book club

Management Tips for Setting up Student Blogs

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• Have students use one (and only one!) publishing tool, such as Blogger, Edublogs, Classblogmeister
• What’s features are needed in a blogging tool?
  • No information identifying the school
  • Use first names only
  • Teacher monitored
  • All articles comments must be approved before they appear on the Internet
• Monitor with an RSS reader (Bloglines)
• Encourage "formal" writing; no IM or chat language
• Comment at least once for every student the first couple of weeks
• Specify minimum post size
• Provide guided questions for reading response
• Require comments
• Decide how to grade: quality or quantity? Provide a rubric. (I don't do this but if you need to use the blogging as a grade you can determine this)

Blooging Terms and Conditions

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1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. You may share your interests, ideas and preferences.
2. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to never log in as another student.
3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.
4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of classroom teachers. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject.
5. Students blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your teacher right away. Do not respond to the comment.
6. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing any software without permission, and not clicking on ads or competitions.
7. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

Comments Key to Success

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Blogging is a "conversation". The writer expects others to read posts and for the piece of writing to generate some kind of reaction or emotion. Without the expectation that their audience would read, reflect, and respond, there is no reason to post on a blog. Just as your students appreciate meaningful feedback on papers, essays, and during conferences about their work, bloggers need feedback in the form of comments. The connection between the writer and the audience is essential. Students should be taught to make appropriate and significant comments to each other. The primary reason is to learn to be ethical users of the internet. Learning to write thoughtful comments help us become higher level thinkers. In addition, writing comments help motivate the writer to continue the conversation.
Meaningful comments are always:

• The hardest part about blogging, as the teacher, is to NOT play the role of the teacher. Try to become part of the conversation rather than correct student grammar, intent, etc.
• Stated in a positive tone
• if there is a need to be critical, it should be stated like "advice". For example, "It would be helpful if....", "Next time try...."
• Specific and making reference to the post
• Express a feeling that you are on the writer's side, always being respectful
• Using school appropriate language and conventions

The following are good comment starters:

• his post made me think about.......
• I wonder why.......
• Your writing made me form an opinion about.......
• This post is relevant because.......
• Your writing made me think that we should.......
• I wish I understood why.......
• This is important because.......
• Another thing to consider is...
• I can relate to this.......
• This makes me think of.......
• I discovered.......
• I don't understand.......
• I was reminded that.......
• I found myself wondering.......

Source: Ann Davis http://adavis.pbwiki.com/Significant Comments